Iran parliament pushes to downgrade relations with Britain: MP

TEHRAN, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian senior lawmaker said Majlis (Parliament) is pursuing the issue of reducing relations with Britain, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Sunday.

"Majlis is seriously pursuing the issue of reducing relations with Britain, in this regard, it has started a series of intensive negotiations with the Foreign Ministry and Supreme National Security Council," Mohammd Reza Bahnor, the deputy Majlis speaker, was quoted as saying.

"There is no difference between the U.S. and Britain in animosity with Iran," Bahnor said, adding "officials of this country (Britain) should wait for a reduction of ties with Iran because of their interference."

Iranian authorities and lawmakers have constantly accused Britain of interfering in Iran's internal affairs and supporting the country's opposition groups, a charge rejected by London.

In January, members of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee drafted a bill, urging the Foreign Ministry to cut relations with Britain, semi-official Fars news agency reported.

If approved by the parliament, the bill would bind the Iranian government to sever ties with Britain due to London's long record of direct and indirect interference in Iran's internal affairs, the report said.

Last week, British ambassador to Tehran Simon Gass said in an open letter to Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of the Majlis Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, that any decision by the parliament to downgrade relations with Britain "would be regrettable," according to Mehr.